JDRF Research
JDRF Industry Partners In Drug Development Alliances with Major PharmaceutIcal Companies
Two of JDRF’s Industry Discovery and Development partners have entered into global alliances with pharmaceutical companies to develop and commercialize anti-CD3 antibodies to treat early-stage type 1 diabetes. The agreements demonstrate the success of JDRF’s strategy to fill gaps in the drug pipeline by helping small companies move discovery research through early clinical testing until bigger companies step in to fund the large trials needed for FDA approval of drugs and treatments for diabetes.
Late last week, one IDDP partner, MacroGenics, entered into an alliance with Eli Lilly to develop teplizumab, an anti-CD3 antibody that has been effective in clinical trials in slowing the progress of type 1 diabetes in newly diagnosed patients. This week, a second JDRF partner, Tolerx, formed an alliance with GlaxoSmithKline to develop otelixizumab, another anti-CD3 antibody for type 1 diabetes.
By funding early-stage testing and validation of anti-CD3 antibodies, including teplizumab at MacroGenics and otelixizumab at Tolerx, JDRF essentially contributed to “de-risking” this therapeutic strategy, making it possible for the biotech companies to advance their antibodies through clinical development, attract additional investors, and eventually secure global licensing and marketing alliances with larger pharmaceutical companies. Biotech companies face many hurdles during the long and expensive path to drug approval, so JDRF’s involvement at early stages is often critical to address gaps (financial and otherwise) and keep programs like these alive and moving forward to benefit patients.
The major focus for JDRF in IDDP partnerships is to accelerate the pace of applied research leading to a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications; if these collaborative partnerships successfully commercialize cures and treatments, JDRF also shares in the financial results of that process, enabling the foundation to recoup its support of those projects and fund other research programs leading to a cure.
To date JDRF’s Industry Discovery and Development Partnership program has funded type 1 diabetes projects at 22 companies, including MacroGenics and Tolerx